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What is Transitional Medicaid?

Transitional Medicaid Assistance was created to help people in the transition period from welfare to being back in the workforce. The high cost of health insurance premiums or low wage jobs and not being able to afford expensive private insurance has been one of the deterring factors in many people leaving the welfare system.

What is Transitional Medicaid

What is Transitional Medicaid and how does it benefit the people who are eligible for this benefit? Federal law mandates that there is to be a 12 month TMA period and it is to be split into 2 six month periods.

The First Six Months of Coverage

The family will be notified of its benefits and they do not need to reapply. The states must give to the family the same medical coverage they had before with medicaid and they cannot charge a premium. Now, the state may choose to pay for the family’s premiums and deductibles if the employer offers these benefits.

The Second Six Months

States have to inform the family of the impending next six months of benefits. They now have the right to charge a premium, and can change the coverage to cover acute care only. They may also require the family to have other coverage with medicaid, such as an employer’s plan, state plan, or an HMO.

States Concerns about this Benefit

States should have concerns about providing medicaid to its families on welfare that are returning to work. There are a high percentage of adult welfare recipients that have chronic health conditions that require ongoing treatment. As they return to work, without the proper healthcare, they have poor productivity and tend to miss days of work, eventually leading to them losing their jobs.